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/lit/ - Literature

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9039720 No.9039720 [Reply] [Original]

How do I write dialogue that isn't pretentious and wooden?

>> No.9040962

>>9039720
>write it however you want
>take what you've written and push it all into subtext
>polish by making language conversational
>use the engagement curve to draw in readers
>make sure the central point gets made (or restated) in the climax
Basically, two characters should be arguing about thing X, which represents philosophy Y, rather than arguing about philosophy Y outright. Their argument should also serve as a story-within-the-story that has its own arc.

>> No.9040964

>>9039720
Talk to people

write it down

adapt it to your story

>> No.9040986

>>9039720
Don't write them

>> No.9041314

>>9039720
Recite it out loud. Better still, act it out with a buddy. This should expose any weaknesses.

>> No.9041489

>>9040962
Heh, I've read and seen a couple of plays and books by this guy who does the exact opposite. Every character is wordy and philosophical as fuck, and their actual struggles and emotions are subtext beneath the wanky prose.
I love those books. Fuck emotions and characters, I want philosophy.

>> No.9041525

>>9039720
Write a play

>> No.9041535

>>9041489
then read philosophy

>> No.9041539

Hire homeless people to act out your dialog, adjust.

>> No.9041543

>>9039720
Step 1. Be born a male. Women can't write their way out of a paper bag. Sorry hun, FtM doesn't work.

>> No.9042137
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9042137

>>9041489
>uses "heh" in print
>unironically likes needlessly verbose prose
>"fuck emotions and characters"
You're what's wring with fiction.
>inb4 "better than feelings-based swill" or some variation
Art is the sensuous presentation of ideas. If you skip the sensuality, it's not art. Get off of my board.
I realize this is probably bait, but fuck.

>> No.9042535

>>9040964
this or if you are socially inept buy a mic and set it up at social gathering spots that will produce the kind of dialogue you want or go there yourself and just bring a laptop and give into your voyeuristic tendencies and transcribe

>> No.9042707

>>9042137
tch... perhaps plebians such as yourself are too obtuse to comprehend REAL philosophy...
true intellectuals such as myself have no need for petty dialogue and character development, as we have the perspicacity needed to immediately grasp such concepts...
stick to your low-brow literature kiddo...

nuthin personnel

>> No.9043062

>>9039720
go out talk to people
people watch
ask people about people, other people, people in general
ask people about conversations
read books about socializing so you can get the information you want in a more subtle manner ie segue into asking someone about past social experience of type x "and you said .." "and how did they react?" "what did they say?" "oh and you obviously said...."

share and receive stories, basically.........